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Monday, October 22, 2012

What do Michael Terpening and Jerry Sandusky have in common?

During the last year and a half, since Michael Terpening was charged with numerous charges of sexual misconduct and insurance fraud, supporters, non-supporters, and the unsure have listened to his claims that he is innocent and that the charges against him were government corruption.

Terpening went as far as to release personal information, some which was never proven to be true, about the victims in these cases. He has pointed fingers at everyone else, instead of taking responsibility for his alleged actions. He badmouthed the victims, calling them liars, child molesters, and just downright troubled. He has stalked innocent people involved with this case, driving to out-of-town locations to check addresses. His actions resulted in a local blogger printing information about two of the victims, such as their full legal names and slander that had no proof that took a year to finally pull off the internet.

Terpening also violated his bond conditions repeatedly by having contact with one of the victims and by moving to a new address, undisclosed to the courts. He was arrested for bond violation in March 2012.

In his defense, Terpening has relied on a small group of people to help with his dirty work, abusing others who dared to stand in his way, people who adopted the name of 'Terpening Followers.'

Terpening has a large amount of supporters in this case, people that knew him for years before he opened The House Next Door who cannot believe he would be guilty of such heinous crimes. They see Terpening as a wonderful 'Christian' man who does nothing but help other people. They see him as a charming man (which, he is quite the charmer if you know him from a distance).

But, there is also displaced family members who know differently and a long list of victims who will never have their day in court.

Anyone paying much attention to the news? I'm sure you have heard about the Jerry Sandusky trial from Penn State. Sandusky was sentenced 30 to 60 years in prison for his crimes against students. He was a popular figure in the community, had a good reputation, worked consistently around children, and even adopted some children and did foster care.

Prior to sentencing, Sandusky and his wife sent letters to the judge in which he badmouthed the victims and called them liars, including his own adopted son, who came forward with allegations that Sandusky molested him, although he did not testify against his dad in court. Sandusky claimed government corruption and blamed the judicial system for his charges. He even blamed the media. At a time when he should be begging for mercy and showing remorse, Sandusky was cold and pointed vicious fingers at everyone and everything else.

The judge was not amused, and his actions in the letters and in the courtroom played a big part in his sentencing. When a criminal goes before a judge for sentencing, the judge wants to see remorse and guilt, or at the very least, for the defendant to own his/her actions. Either way, Sandusky will likely die in prison now.

Now, to follow through on Terpening's case. Will court bring a huge win for his alleged victims? I sure hope so. And I feel comfortable with a guilty verdict without having to wonder if the charges are really true or not. People talk on the internet, even the ones he made passes at...